HMS Sutherland (F81)

HMS Sutherland is a Type 23 frigate of the British Royal Navy. She is the thirteenth ship in the Duke class of frigates and is the third ship to bear the name, more than 200 years since the name was last used.

She was launched in 1996 by Lady Christina Walmsley, wife of Sir Robert Walmsley. Before this occasion, Royal Navy ships had always been launched with a bottle of champagne, but Lady Walmsley broke with tradition and used a bottle of Macallan Scotch whisky.

1997–2000
Sutherland was deployed to the Falkland Islands in the late 1998/ early 1999. In 2000, she was part of the task force NTG2000, the first time Royal Navy ships have circumnavigated the globe since 1986.

2001–2010
After berthing at Invergordon, HMS Sutherland was granted the freedom of the county of Sutherland at a ceremony in Dornoch on 18 September 2004. A subsequent visit to Invergordon in March 2011 was cut short, with "operational commitments" as the given reason. This was eventually revealed as her deployment as part of the UK Response Force Task Group's (RFTG) first deployment, named COUGAR 11. She returned to Invergordon in April 2013.

2011–2020
In May 2011, she made a port visit to Patras, Greece, following participation in military exercises off Crete, after which she became involved in the operations off the Libyan coast. On 16 June 2011, Sutherland visited Souda Bay in Crete to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Crete, before sailing to Kalamata in Greece to conduct further World War II memorials. On 24 July 2011, Sutherland returned to the coast of Libya as part of Operation Ellamy. On 18 October 2011, Sutherland passed through Tower Bridge in London and docked next to HMS Belfast (C35), returning through the bridge on 22 October 2011.

In 2012, she was part of the COUGAR 12 task group. She took part in Exercise Joint Warrior 2013.

Sutherland to part in 2016 Exercise Griffin Strike, a UK-French combined exercise. Sutherland escorted the RUSSIAN FRIGATE Admiral Grigorovich through the English Channel in May 2016. In April 2017, Sutherland was again tasked with escorting Russian warships in the English Channel, on this occasion, the Steregushchiy-class corvettes, RUSSIAN CORVETTE Soobrazitelnyy and RUSSIAN CORVETTE Boikiy.

Sutherland was the first vessel assigned to escort the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) when she embarked on sea trials in June 2017.

In 2018 Sutherland had a deployment to the Pacific Ocean. Part of her mission was "to continue the pressure campaign on North Korea", and on her return traveled through the South China Sea to assert navigation rights against Chinese claims.

Early in 2019 she served as a testbed for an integrated mount for the Martlet LMM and 30 mm cannon, successfully engaging in firing operations against a motorboat-sized target at the Aberporth range in Wales.

2021–present
In April 2021, Sutherland entered long-term refit to incorporate Sea Ceptor SAMs as well as other system updates. The frigate was reported to have been removed from dry dock in March 2024, it being anticipated that she will begin post-refit sea trials later in the year.

Affiliations

 * The Highlanders, 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland
 * County of Sutherland
 * Honourable Company of Master Mariners
 * Sherborne School CCF
 * Clifton College, Bristol CCF's
 * TS Grenville, Paisley (Sea Cadets)
 * TS Duchess, Biggleswade (Sea Cadets)
 * Royal Dornoch Golf Club